Mitchell High School student on a mission to decrease cyberbullying

Colton Barker says students are posting explicit messages and cyberbullying on an anonymous cell phone app called “After School.” It’s designed to be an anonymous message board, but he says students are taking advantage of it.

“People think that they can say whatever they want and have no consequences and what they say can affect how other people take it,” said Barker.

He discovered the malicious messages via his cell phone, when he was alerted of the app by a friend.

“That allows people to post whatever they want, similar to Facebook but it’s just for the school… You have to login through your Facebook, select your school, and it allows to do whatever they want, cyberbully but it’s not being watched at all,” said Barker.

Barker has seen the effects of being bullied, and it’s a topic that hits close to home.

“It makes emotional scars that can never be completely gone, like there are times when I’m just out doing something and someone can say one small thing and bring back memories… And you end up being severely depressed and it’s not good at all,” said Barker.

Barker says he has emailed the app’s creator and also called the Colorado Springs Police Department. His goal is to have the app more closely monitored, or even taken off the market.